Performing Department
Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine
Non Technical Summary
There is a serious shortage of veterinarians to support the supply of safe and wholesome food.There is need for veterinarians in traditional farm practice, but more critically, there is a need for experts to work in modern farming and food production and processing systems (Bernardo, 2006). For good or for ill, food production is consolidating and intensifying. Therefore a producer and their consulting veterinarians have influence on a much larger number of animals and consequently consumers. Today one decision may affect one carcass which may have a global impact (e.g. international trade bans due to one tissue residue violation, or large-scale disease outbreak). No matter where in the food supply chain a veterinarian is working, they must understand the implications of decisions throughout the food, environment and public health systems. They must understand the "systems approach" to problem solving and animal health. It will address the HEC program priorities of "globalizing agricultural business, markets and trade, including international food security (Strategic Objective 1.2) and developing technologies and systems for sustainable animal production (enhancing the capabilities of both domestic and international production systems to meet the needs of producers and consumers) and increasing food safety, protecting the safety of America's food supply (Strategic Objective 4.1)." It will accomplish these goals by equipping all veterinary graduates with a new and dynamic problem solving perspective that can be applied in multiple and varied situations. The systems approach is a methodology for diagnosing, designing and correcting complex problems. Although developed for engineering type problems, it has tremendous application to livestock production, food harvest, processing and transport as well as domestic and global policy development. The objective of this project is to develop a new framework, curricular approach, and delivery mechanism that will transform the mindset and skill set for veterinarians tasked with safely feeding the world. The impact of this project will be veterinary graduates who are better prepared to use a systems-based approach to handling foodsafety related problems. Faculty members at ISU and KSU who would not otherwise be able to do so, will be prepared to employ the systems approach in their teaching. A significant impact from this project will be veterinary graduates better equipped to provide safe, wholesome and efficient food production and processing. In the long term we hope, this expertise and energy derived will improve the skills and morale of veterinarians in the food quality assurance fields. The most important likely impact will be a safer food supply.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The objective of this project is to develop a new framework, curricular approach, and delivery mechanism that will transform the mindset and skill set of veterinarians tasked with safely feeding the world. It will address the HEC program priorities of "globalizing agricultural business, markets and trade, including international food security (Strategic Objective 1.2) and developing technologies and systems for sustainable animal production (enhancing the capabilities of both domestic and international production systems to meet the needs of producers and consumers) and increasing food safety, protecting the safety of America's food supply (Strategic Objective 4.1)." It will accomplish these goals by equipping all veterinary graduates with a new and dynamic problem solving perspective that can be applied in multiple and varied situations. The systems approach is a methodology for diagnosing, designing and correcting complex problems. Although developed for engineering type problems, it has tremendous application to livestock production, food harvest, processing and transport as well as domestic and global policy development. This project will address the Education Needs Areas of: 1) Curricula Design and Materials Development by assisting food animal teaching faculty to revise their existing materials to case studies using the systems approach 2) Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching by exposing them to experts in systems approach and interactive learning so faculty can understand and explain the systems approach in the context of their current expertise 3) Student Experiential Learning by adding the systems perspective to current unique experiences at ISU and KSU and partnerships with FDA and FSIS for their existing student internship programs.
Project Methods
We will conduct Curricula Design and Materials Development by assisting food animal teaching faculty to revise their existing materials to case studies using the systems approach. As noted above this new framework cannot be incorporated into the veterinary curriculum simply by adding a new course, lab or rotation, as the curriculum is currently packed to the point of overload. Therefore, faculty who currently teach food animal related courses at ISU and KSU have agreed to modify portions of their existing material. The goal is to deliver the same technical information in the context of systems approach examples. In some cases, this will involve the use of small group projects or table top exercises, to allow the students to develop their thought processes. We will implement Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching, by exposing faculty to experts in the systems approach using interactive learning so faculty can understand and explain the systems approach in the context of their current expertise. To provide the collaborating faculty on this proposal and others the expertise needed to revise their material, we will use the "Train the Trainer Approach". At each cooperating university (ISU, KSU, U of AR),at least one Systems Trainer will be developed. The Systems Trainer will then work with collaborating faculty to modify selected lecture topics. Note, the systems approach is not appropriate for all topics, so the faculty will choose a few appropriate topics (approximately ten lectures in each course) in consultation with the trainer. The faculty and trainer will then set learning goals which will be reevaluated with the trainer at the end of each year. After topics have been chosen and the revised material has been developed, the Systems Trainer will present the first several systems based lessons (e.g. lecture, case discussion, etc.) as the faculty member observes. For subsequent lessons, the faculty member will present the material as the trainer observes. After each lesson, the two will evaluate the lesson and student reception. The trainer will record this evaluation with notes onto a website developed for this project. One of the unique strengths of this proposed project is the partnerships with engineering. The inputs of many in the various engineering departments have been and will be vital in transferring the necessary expertise to the Systems Trainers. We will improve veterinary Student Experiential Learning by adding the systems perspective to current programs at Iowa State University and Kansas State University and by partnering with summer internship programs at USDA: FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine). Iowa State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, currently offers unique student experiences called PIKE (Production Immersive Knowledge Experiences) in swine, beef and dairy. These experiences are available for more than just senior veterinary students. They provide the opportunity to begin inputting the systems perspective early in the student's career.